Combination diaper bag and baby bed



Oct. 13, 1959 v, BARTON 2,908,020

I COMBINATION DIAPER BAG AND BABY BED Filed April 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 t, j" I v 25 24- /2 r F II rfl I. i V/ l I 25- mmvrox VIM/ma EH1? ra/v flrrolelvavr Oct. 13, 1959 v. BARTON 2,908,020

COMBINATION DIAPER BAG AND BABY BED Filed April 24, 1956 0 2 SheetS -Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Vmanvm BHero/v United States Patent 6 f COMBINATION DIAPER BAG AND BABY BED Virginia Barton, Chicago, Ill. Application April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,288

1 Claim. (Cl. -99) My invention relates to improvements in articles for the care of infants.

My invention relates more particularly to a practical and useful article in the nature of a diaperbag which can also be used when desired as an infants bed.

When an infant is taken along to go visiting, the mother usually carries with her a supply of diapers, formula bottles, etc. for the care of the infant during the visit. The infant is usually laid on a bed in the home that is being visited, and may sometimes soil the bed, or in kicking and moving may fall off the bed and sustain injuries.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a utility article which may be used as a diaper bag for carrying both clean and soiled diapers, formula, etc., and which may be set up and used for the infants bed when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article of the type described that is made of flexible plastic so that it can be washed when soiled.

A further object is to make the article with spaced double walls so arranged that in order to effect the rigidity necessary to use the same as a bed, the walls may be filled with air, and the carrying handles may be turned down to form rigid supporting feet for the bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of the type described that is comparatively simple in construction, which can be easily and cheaply made so that it will sell at a nominal cost, and one which will withstand long and hard useage without becoming torn, broken, or out of order.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings, upon which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view showing the article being used as a diaper carrying bag;

Fig. 1-A is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 2 is a generally diagrammatic view showing the diaper bag partially unfolded and laid fiat;

Fig. 3 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the second step in the unfolding of the bag;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic front perspective view showing the bag unfolded to form an open-ended container;

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view showing the side walls blown up and the handles turned down to form supporting feet when the bag is being used as a bed;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the handles or feet are connected, the view being taken generally on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 6-A is a similar sectional view taken on the line 6-A-6-A of Fig. 5.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate and describe, and referring generally to Figs. 2 to 4, the article may be constructed of a flexible plastic material such as Koroseal or other similar synthetic material that is impervious to the passage of air or other fluids. The article may be provided with a bottom wall 10, rectangular end walls 12 and 14, and side walls 16 and 18, as shown in Fig. 4.

In its use as a diaper bag, the diapers and other articles necessary for the infants comfort may be placed on Patented Oct. 13', 1959 ice the bottom wall 10 and the side walls 16 and 18 may be folded outwardly on the dot-dash lines 20 and 22, to take the position shown in Fig. 3 with the end walls 12 and '14 folded down parallel with the bottom wall 10. The'diagonally shaped portions 16a and 18a may then be folded over as shown in Fig. 2, with the portion 18a overlapping the portion 16a. The handles 24 may then be grasped and lifted, and the diaper bag will be in the condition shown in Fig. 1, for carrying the diapers and other articles about. The bottom wall 10 may have an extra pocket 10a on the side which may be utilized for soiled diapers if desired.

The handles 24 may be of a comparatively rigid material such as a solid plastic, and may be mounted in suitable plastic brackets 26 which are fastened to the lower end of the side walls 12 and 14.

As previously stated, each of the walls of the container is double and preferably formed with a plurality of tubular sections 28, the article being provided with an air valve 30 of any suitable construction so that either by the use of a loaded cartridge, a pump, or simply by blowing into the valve, the tubular sections 28, which all communicate with each other, may be blown up so that a rigid, open-ended box-like container is created.

In this condition the container will be comparatively rigid, the side and bottom walls being preferably formed of parallel tubes that extend the length of the same, and the end walls 12 and 14 being preferably made with elongated tubes that extend vertically of the unit. The handles or feet 24 may be fixedly mounted as shown, with pin portions 25 that are square and positioned in square openings in the brackets 26, so that the handles will be held against movement in either the up or down position.

From the above and foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a highly practical and desirable accessory for use in connection with the care of infants, and one which is convenient for use when it is necessary to travel with an infant. The comparative cost of the combined diaper bag and bed with separate articles of the same kind is such that it is highly desirable to secure and use the combination article.

I contemplate that changes may be made in the exact: details shown and I do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by- Letters Patent of the United States is:

An open-ended rectangularly shaped container formed of flexible plastic material, said container having a flat rectangularly shaped bottom wall, rectangularly shaped parallel side walls and rectangularly shaped end walls, all of the walls of said container having parallel tubular sections therein which may be inflated to make the walls rigid, the tubular sections in the side walls being horizontal and in the end walls being vertical, two pair of spaced brackets rigidly connected to the end walls near the lower end of each end wall, a U-shaped handle rigidly fastened in each pair of spaced brackets to support the open-ended container when the walls are inflated, the container also being adapted for use as a diaper bag when the tubular sections of all of the Walls of said container are deflated and the side and end walls are folded down toward each other and laid on its bottom wall with the edges of the open end in parallel alignment transversely between the ends of said bottom wall, diapers adapted to be placed therein, the folded portions of each side wall of the container forming triangular portions and then being folded down over the end walls, all the container walls including these triangular portions then being folded toward each other as the handles are raised for carry-t ing the same as a bag with the diapers therein.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lamoureux Sept. 12, 1865 Feust Aug. 3, 1875 Clifton May 8, 1894 Dodd Feb. 10, 1925 Mote Aug. 28, 1934 Crawford Feb. 28; 1939 Hawkins May 30, 1939 4 Kuhns Dec. 22, 1953 Spanel Mar. 23, 1954 Leonard Oct. 12, 1954 Fleisch Nov. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia March 22, 1951 Great Britain Nov. 6, 1933 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1949 

